Outsiders (ZnT/Pokémon Reverse Summon)
Season 2, Episode 5, Chapter 4

[~][~]

August 11th, 8:55 AM

Coumarine City, Kalos Region

Louise stared up at the Pledging Tree, a firm and determined expression on her face. Her hands were tightly gripped on the shoulder strap of her red tote bag, and the boater on her head felt surprisingly heavy. With the sun rising behind the tree and casting an ominous shadow on her, Louise couldn't help but feel a little nervous. The last time she was here, she let her emotions and desires cloud her judgment, leading to a humiliating defeat.

But that was in the past. Right now, all that was on Louise's mind was doing what she should've done the first time around: beating Ramos and winning her fourth gym badge. She and her Pokémon had spent hours reviewing what she did wrong last time, using a recording of the battle courtesy of Saito. Her friends had gone to sleep by the time Louise was done strategizing, and when they woke up, she was already up and about, doing some last-minute preparation. The only reason why she stopped was that Saito made bacon and eggs for breakfast.

Sadly, it turned out that the Bisharp she had rescued had also left without a trace that morning. According to Nurse Joy, as soon as his wounds had healed and she had left the room to get something, he opened a window and disappeared into the morning. Knowing that she didn't get the chance to say goodbye to the old Pokémon made Louise somewhat sad, especially given what he'd most likely endured. But it wasn't her place to keep him down.

Maybe their paths would cross again someday. For now, though, Louise had to be focused on the challenge ahead. Behind her, Saito, Henrietta, and Derflinger silently watched, the trio eagerly but anxiously waiting for Ramos to open the gym and accept Louise's second challenge. There were several points where Henrietta was tempted to speak up and say something, but glances from Saito and Derflinger gave her pause.

When the clock struck nine, the service elevator that went up to the battlefield finally descended. On it was Ramos, looking down at his challenger with a proud smile while stroking his beard. Louise locked eyes with him, a determined frown contrasting his smile. Not a word was said between them, but none had to be said for them to understand precisely what was about to happen. This only made Ramos' smile widen, and Louise's frown deepened.

"Hello there, children," Ramos greeted as the elevator touched down and the grate door opened. "I hope you all had a pleasant night's sleep."

"We did, thank you," Henrietta replied with a smile. Saito and Louise nodded as well, then as Ramos stepped to the side to let the trainers onboard, she and Saito joined him. Louise, however, did not, prompting a concerned Henrietta to ask, "Louise, are you coming?"

Louise didn't say anything at first, instead eyeing the paths she and Saito took up the tree when they scaled it the day before. For a moment, Henrietta was worried that Louise would try to climb it again out of some desire to prove herself or rectify a mistake, but then Louise turned away and joined them on the elevator.

"Thank you," Louise said as she got on the elevator. The gate closed behind her; then, with a slight jolt, the elevator began to ascend to the top of the tree. A comfortable silence fell over the group, with everyone staring out over the grassland and field of Sunflora currently at work powering the solar plant. The only sound that could be heard was the ruffling of the leaves with the wind and the cables creaking as the elevator climbed up them.

Finally, after a few minutes, the elevator halted along a path carved into a massive tree branch towards the battlefield.

"After you," Ramos offered as he opened the door. The three trainers thanked the elderly man, stepped out, and began making their way down the path. Saito, Henrietta, and Derflinger split off from Louise and Ramos to take their seats in the stands, with Ramos and Louise heading towards the arena.

"Do you think she's going to win this time?" Henrietta helped but asked once they were alone. She almost immediately regretted asking it, but Saito smiled and nodded before she could take it back.

"Yeah, I think she will," he declared, pumping his fist in anticipation. Henrietta stared at her friend for a moment, then felt his enthusiasm spread into her.

She smiled back, then replied, "You're right. She will."

The pair released their Pokémon onto the stands so they could watch the battle unfold. As Louise and Ramos stepped into their trainer boxes and the referee began to, once again, declare the rules of this particular battle, Henrietta and Saito couldn't help but let out some encouraging cheers and claps. Henrietta's attention remained squarely focused on Louise herself, and she would've stayed there had she not noticed a glint of something shiny in the background. She briefly glanced into the tree branches that overhung the battlefield, but when she didn't see anything aside from leaves, she decided that it was just her imagination, then went back to watching her friend.


One last time, Louise went over her options for the upcoming battle as the referee went over the same rules as last time. Assuming that Ramos didn't change his team, which wasn't completely necessary to her strategy but would definitely make it more effective, he would start with his surprisingly agile Jumpluff before moving on to Gogoat. Much like that dreaded Surskit that gave Louise her first setback all those months ago, Ramos' Jumpluff was a surprisingly effective opponent, capable of extreme feats of maneuverability and precision. More importantly, Jumpluff was a terrific sapper, capable of inflicting various status conditions onto his opponents. She couldn't say where Gogoat's true strengths lay, given how Brennaraki was already nearly out of it by the time Gogoat finished her off, but she could tell that he was the stronger of the two. Once she got past the Jumpluff, she would have to be on her guard.

But unlike last time, Louise was prepared. She had a strategy in mind and intended to stick to it. With any luck, it would be enough to win the day. If not…well, she could improvise.

"Begin!" the referee suddenly shouted as he swung his arm and the green flag he was carrying downward.

Taking that as her cue, Louise shot her hand towards the Luxury Balls in her bag while Ramos pulled out a Pokéball of his own and gently said, "Lend me your aid, Jumpluff."

Despite herself, Louise couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as the familiar Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield. Had he led with Gogoat or, Gods forbid, used a different team entirely, her strategy might've been thrown off. Thankfully, that possibility didn't come to pass. It was always possible that he might've swapped out Gogoat for another Pokémon, but Louise doubted it.

Grabbing one of her Luxury Balls, Louise warped her face and then threw the expanded orb towards the center of her side of the arena while shouting, "Esprit, I choose you!"

The loyal and determined Kirlia emerged onto the battlefield, giving a graceful curtsey as an added flourish before hardening her face like her trainer. Ramos looked at Esprit's cute expression before chuckling and giving Louise a slight grin.

"Not starting with your Fletchinder this time, I see," Ramos stated, and Louise nodded.

"I learn from my mistakes," Louise replied, and Ramos' smile grew.

"I'm happy to hear that," Ramos said, then ordered, "Infestation."

"Teleport, then use Misty Terrain!" Louise immediately shouted, anticipating this exact scenario.

As a swarm of bugs was gathered by Jumpluff and then shot toward Esprit, the Kirlia disappeared with a pop, causing the Infestation to impact and disperse harmlessly against the grassy field. Esprit reemerged on a tree branch, and her body pulsed a bright pink for a moment before a light pink mist emanated from her. The fog spread quickly, covering the entire arena and the top of the tree before coming to a rest. Despite the cloud covering them, Louise had no difficulty seeing what was happening before her and smirked.


"So, this is Misty Terrain?" Henrietta asked as she idly waved her hand through the pink cloud, with Ōdachi opting to nip at the cloud as though it were a plaything.

"Yep," Saito confirmed with a nod. "It's a Fairy-type move that completely nullifies status moves. Paralysis, burn, poison, you name it."

"Mm-hmm, which removes one of Ramos' biggest advantages here," Derflinger added. "Won't stop stuff like Infestation, though."

"True, if he can hit her," Saito pointed out as he and the others watched Esprit use a few Calm Minds in rapid succession.

"I see…" Henrietta muttered, then returned her attention to the battle in front of her.


Once Esprit finished enhancing herself with Calm Mind, Louise launched the next phase of her plan by ordering, "Use Psychic!"

With a confident smirk, Esprit's eyes flashed purple, then Jumpluff was sent flying back while letting out a cry of pain. The air was still, and without Aile providing a tailwind to help push him around, there wasn't much Jumpluff could do to avoid the unrelenting assault. He was, however, able to move around slightly through small flaps of its arms, allowing him to take cover behind the tree on Ramos' side of the field.

"Flush her out with Bullet Seed," Ramos said.

Taking position behind a bunch of leaves, the Jumpluff let loose a barrage of fast-firing seeds. Esprit was forced to teleport away, but Jumpluff followed her trailer wherever she went. It didn't matter if she reappeared on the open field or in the tall grass; her opponent rapidly switched targets and fired a quick burst at her head. Louise wasn't concerned at first. Thanks to Teleport, actually hitting Esprit would be easier said than done. But then she noticed that the edges of the Misty Terrain were beginning to fade, and she realized what Ramos was trying to do.

"Esprit, we need to take Jumpluff out before Misty Terrain is gone!" Louise shouted, knowing how devastating that could be. All Jumpluff would have to do is spew copious amounts of Stun Spore, Poison Powder, or anything of that nature over the arena, and it wouldn't matter if Esprit teleported away. She'd get affected as soon as she rematerialized, regardless of where she landed if everywhere was covered in powder. Louise could always have Esprit use Misty Terrain again, but that might leave her open just long enough for Ramos to inflict a status condition on her.

With a newfound sense of urgency, Louise pointed to the leafy bunker where the Bullet Seed fired out and yelled, "Teleport into that tree, then use Disarming Voice!"

Esprit did as instructed, emerging onto the tree behind Jumpluff with a faint pop. But, as she took a deep breath and imbued her voice with Fairy-type energy, Ramos ordered, "Infestation."

At this range and already in the act of using another move, Esprit could not dodge the swarm of bugs slamming into her body. It didn't stop her from screaming a Disarming Voice at the top of her lungs, causing the Jumpluff to crash into and through a few tree branches before slamming into the ground within the tall grass. A few moments later, the injured but determined Jumpluff rose above the river of grass, glaring at his opponent as Esprit jumped onto the open plain.

"Esprit, are you okay?" Louise asked, and although she flinched in discomfort as the insect swarm continued to bite into her skin, Esprit gave her trainer a soft smile. Louise smiled back, but at the same time, she knew this wasn't good. Infestation would whittle Esprit's strength soon, regardless of whatever Jumpluff did next, and would prevent Louise from switching her out for another Pokémon. Still, it wasn't an insurmountable obstacle.

"Patch yourself up with Life Dew, then use Psychic again!" Louise ordered.

As Esprit formed a small orb of water that she pressed into her skin, Ramos gently called out, "Dive into the tall grass, Jumpluff."

Jumpluff did as his trainer commanded, sinking back into the river of grass and preventing Esprit from immediately attacking him. Furrowing her brow, Esprit reached out with her mind as though it was radar, searching for a mental ping. When she detected Jumpluff's presence, she lashed out immediately with Psychic, blasting her opponent back into the open. Unfortunately, the concealment was enough to make Esprit's attack only a glancing blow, which made her frown.

Feeling the sting of the Infestation once again, Esprit used Life Dew and then went back to attacking Jumpluff. By this time, Jumpluff had begun using Fairy Wind to push himself through the air, allowing him to move around more openly. It was noticeably slower and more cumbersome than he was able to do before by riding Aile's Tailwind. But it allowed Jumpluff more opportunity to evade and fire a burst of Bullet Seed at Esprit if only to break her concentration for a moment.

The battle settled into a rhythm for the next few minutes, with Esprit and Jumpluff alternating between attacking and evading whenever possible. Jumpluff tried his best to avoid being caught out in the open by hiding within the tall grass or behind one of the trees, but his lack of proper mobility left him a sitting duck whenever he tried to move between them. On the other hand, Esprit's liberal use of Teleport gave her unmatched battlefield maneuverability. So long as her concentration wasn't broken and Jumpluff wasn't behind cover, her attacks could land accurately. But the Infestation was still taking its toll on her, which wasn't helped by Jumpluff spamming Mega Drain to steal Esprit's vitality for his own. There was only so much Life Dew could accomplish on its own, and with the Misty Terrain fading away more and more with each passing moment, Louise and Esprit were beginning to run out of options.

Typically, Louise would've put Jumpluff to sleep and wailed on him until he was knocked unconscious. But Misty Terrain had an unfortunate side effect. It prevented all status conditions from being used, not just from her opponent but from her team. While the tactic affected Ramos far more than herself, Louise had still inadvertently handicapped herself.

Or had she? Slowly, the roots of an idea began to sprout, particularly as more and more of the Misty Terrain began to subside. It would be gone entirely any moment, allowing Jumpluff to start laying out debilitating spores. Louise couldn't let that happen, so she originally planned to use Misty Terrain again to recharge it. But doing that would prevent her from using Hypnosis. If she willingly let the Misty Terrain lapse and risked letting Jumpluff poison or paralyze Esprit, she could trap Jumpluff with a Hypnosis and put it to sleep. If she managed that, the battle was as good as over.

Coming to a decision, Louise hardened her face as she watched the last of the Misty Terrain finally fade away. Ramos expected her to use the move again, but when she didn't, he raised his eyebrow in confusion. It provided her with the opening she needed, and Louise shouted while pointing at Jumpluff, "Put him to sleep with Hypnosis!"

"Jumpluff, hide!" Ramos immediately shouted, but although Jumpluff let himself fall like a rock into the tall grass, he wasn't fast enough. Esprit's eyes flashed a bright blue, and as Jumpluff fell, his eyes flashed the same color. A moment later, they grew dull and blanked before closing completely. When he finally landed on the ground, he was locked into a deep sleep.

"Yes! Patch yourself up with Life Dew again, then finish him with Psychic and Draining Kiss!" Louise ordered

With a victorious grin on her face, Esprit once again pressed an orb of Life Dew into her skin, then teleported over to her fallen opponent, who was still in the grass. She gave him a sweet kiss on his forehead, then threw the still-asleep Jumpluff as far back as she could with a powerful Psychic. Jumpluff landed hard on the ground and kept going, his body rolling and bouncing before finally stopping at the wooden retaining wall surrounding the arena. He did not get up; more importantly, he was out of bounds.

"Jumpluff is out of bounds and unable to battle!" the referee announced while holding up a red flag.

Ramos released a sigh, then pulled out Jumpluff's Pokéball and returned it while saying, "You did well, my friend. Take a nice rest."

Grabbing his second Pokéball, he turned his attention back towards Louise and Esprit, who patched herself up again as the Infestation finally subsided. He smirked, then said, "I'm impressed. You truly took my words to heart."

"I did," Louise admitted. "It took me a while to come to terms with it, but you were right. Now I'm stronger for it."

"I can see that. But you haven't won yet," Ramos replied as he enlarged the second Pokéball with a finger tap. He then threw it onto the field, saying, "Lend me your aid, Gogoat."

As Ramos' Gogoat emerged onto the battlefield, he let out a guttural, warbling call as a challenge to his opponent. Rather than be intimidated, Esprit gave another curtsey before hunkering down, ready to engage at a moment's notice.

That moment came almost immediately as Ramos ordered, "Bulldoze!"

Letting out another bellowing cry, Gogoat reared itself onto his hind lends and slammed them down hard onto the grassy ground. A visible shockwave sent ripples through the earth toward Esprit, shaking the tree around them and knocking a few leaves off their branches.

"Teleport away, then use Psychic!" Louise shouted.

Just before the shockwave could hit, Esprit teleported away with a pop, rematerializing on a tree branch after the shockwave passed. But the Bulldoze had managed to knock out many of the leaves on the tree itself, leaving plenty of bare, barren holes from which Esprit could easily be seen. Ramos smirked at this development as he idly rubbed his chin with his hand, then snapped his fingers.

"Cut her down with Razor Leaf," he said.

Gogoat's body shook, and out of his leafy mane came a barrage of razor-sharp leaves that cut through the air. Although the tree branches provided some cover and protection for the diminutive Kirlia, they weren't enough as the leaves cut through the wood like a hot knife through butter. They slashed into her body, causing Esprit to cry in pain before falling back. She tumbled through the branches during her descent, making Louise worry, but luckily Esprit was able to land on her feet.

"You okay, girl?" Louise asked. Although the Life Dew and Draining Kiss had done wonders towards rejuvenating Esprit from the damage that Jumpluff gave her, she was still breathing heavily. Add that to the bruises and minor cuts on her frame, and it was clear that she didn't have nearly as much strength now as she did before. But Esprit refused to back down and flashed her trainer a confident smirk.

Louise smiled back, then glanced at the bag strapped around her shoulder. Even if Esprit was confident in her ability to hold her own against Gogoat, Louise wasn't willing to let her stay out for too long. She'd let her Pokémon get a few hits in, whittle Gogoat's defenses down as much as possible, and then she'd swap her out for her next Pokémon.

With that in mind, she called out, "All right, let's do this, Esprit! Teleport, then use Psychic!"

Disappearing with a pop, Esprit rematerialized right behind Gogoat against the tree on Ramos' side of the field, where she immediately lashed out with a powerful Psychic. Gogoat cried out in pain but remained standing, where he turned around and ran towards her to use a Take Down against her. Esprit teleported away yet again, forcing Gogoat to skid to a stop before he could slam into the tree and hurt himself.

"Disarming Voice!" Louise ordered as Esprit remerged, this time in the river of tall grass. From the grass came a loud, reverberating cry that forced Gogoat to rear in pain.

But then Ramos said, "Grab her with Vine Whip."

While Esprit continued to use Disarming Voice, a pair of long, thin vines shot out of Gogoat's mane and whipped towards the source of the sound, cutting it off. The vines then dragged a struggling Esprit out into the open and threw her against the tree. A few leaves and small branches were knocked down, but as Esprit tried to recover, she was blasted away by a Seed Bomb.

"Esprit!" Louise cried as her Pokémon rolled over the ground, stopping near the center of the field. For a moment, Louise feared that her Pokémon was knocked unconscious, and the referee prepared to announce as such. But Esprit soon stirred, and with a visible effort, she began to push herself back onto her feet. Soon she was standing proud and upright, holding up her arms in a defiant display.

Louise sighed in relief, but when she noticed Esprit's sway, she realized now was the time. She pulled out Esprit's Luxury Ball and said, "That's enough, girl. Take a nice rest."

Despite her previous defiance, Esprit sighed in relief as well as she was returned to the Luxury Ball. At the same time, Louise shrunk and stowed away the device, then pulled out another Luxury Ball and said, "Brennaraki, I choose you!"

As her starter emerged onto the field, Ramos let out a soft smile at the care Louise showed to her team. He said, "I thought you might use a different Pokémon than your starter."

"I considered it, but you can't ignore the advantage Fire-types have over Grass-types," Louise replied, and Ramos chuckled.

"True, they are particularly effective. But let us see if you can properly take advantage of it," Ramos declared, then furrowed his brow. "Bulldoze."

"Jump over it, then use Flamethrower!"

Brennaraki leaped into the air with her powerful hind legs, and as she fell back down, the earthen shockwave passed underneath. She stumbled slightly when she landed on the uneven ground, but she recovered quickly and fired a Flamethrower toward her opponent. Gogoat was forced to run to the side to avoid the jet of flame. Brennaraki followed him but stopped once he reached the tall grass. The last thing they wanted was for her to set fire to the entire field accidentally. That could quickly get out of hand. Not to mention it would speak very highly of either of their self-control if Louise let it happen.

Although a few embers were coming off the scorched ground into the air, no wildfires spread from Brennaraki's attack. Louise counted that as a blessing, then narrowed her eyes as she scoured the field for Gogoat. He was hiding in the river of grass, making it hard to see exactly where he was. Brennaraki was also searching, keeping her back to the tree for some cover.

Then Louise saw a patch of grass rustling next to Brennaraki's flank, and she cried, "Look out!"

Brennaraki's head shot towards the rustling just as a Seed Bomb was fired. She ducked underneath the explosive but stumbled back when the bomb exploded behind her. This gave Gogoat an opening to hit her with Take Down, picking her up with his horns and slamming her into the tree. Leaves and branches rained down around them, and Brennaraki groaned in pain as she pushed herself back onto her feet. Gogoat also showed discomfort, shaking his head back and forth while rapidly blinking his eyes. Louise already knew that moves like Take Down hurt the user with recoil, but it was clear that slamming Brennaraki into a sturdy tree only added to it.

Putting aside that interesting tidbit for later, Louise ordered, "Use Light Screen, then trap Gogoat in Fire Spin!"

Brennaraki's eyes flashed blue, and then she became surrounded by square-shaped panes of psychic energy, which reminded Louise of glass. The panels faded away soon after, but she could tell they were still there, particularly when a recovered Gogoat attempted to strike Brennaraki with Mud Slap which splashed harmlessly against the nearly invisible panes, only a few drops managing to hit Brennaraki in the face.

The shiny Fennekin took a deep breath, accumulating a swirling ball of fire in her jaws, then spat it toward her opponent. Gogoat tried to jump away, but when the ball hit the ground, he became consumed by a tale vortex of fire. He bellowed in pain as he could not escape for a few precious moments, allowing Brennaraki to recover slightly.

When Gogoat finally managed to leap out of the blaze, Brennaraki followed him as Louise yelled, "Will-O-Wisp!"

Eager to give Ramos' team a taste of their own medicine, she fired a sickly ball of green fire that weaved its way back and forth through the air. Gogoat tried to outrun the fireball, bounding from place to place with surprising grace given his size, but it was no use. The wisp managed to splash against his back right flank, causing him to release a shrill cry as an intense burn formed.

"Yes!" Louise celebrated while pumping her fist. She knew that victory was far from assured just yet, but already she was giving a vastly better performance than last time. Something that Ramos clearly understood and was impressed by, judging by the smile he was giving her.

"Well done," he admitted. "It appears that I may have to take it up a notch. Gogoat, use Horn Leach."

Louise had never heard of that move before, but as Gogoat's horns glowed a light green, she could tell it wasn't anything good. She hastily shouted, "Psyshock!"

An explosive cascade of psychic energy assaulted Gogoat's body as he charged toward Brennaraki, but he wasn't deterred. He then slammed his horns into her side, scooping her up and carrying her off. Louise was confused for a moment; then she realized what was happening. The Horn Leech was sapping away Brennaraki's strength and giving it to Gogoat, much like Leech Seed or Mega Drain. The more prolonged the contact, the more health it stole.

"Get out of there!" Louise ordered, prompting Brennaraki to eject herself from Gogoat's grasp by sparking a small explosion in front of her face with Ember. The attack caused Gogoat to stop in his tracks, sending Brennaraki flying back. She rolled for a bit upon landing but was able to come up on her feet, where she defiantly growled towards her opponent, albeit with her breathing much harsher than before.

Undeterred, Ramos then said, "Leech Seed."

Louise knew what Ramos was trying to do. A proper application of Leech Seed could outright negate any damage inflicted onto his Gogoat by his burn. But rather than be intimidated, Louise merely smirked as this was precisely what she wanted him to do.

"Magic Coat!" Louise ordered as the seeds began to fire out of Gogoat's mane, prompting Ramos' eyes to widen.

"Stop!" he hastily commanded, but although Gogoat tried to redirect his aim to where he'd fire well above Brennaraki, the shiny Fennekin merely jumped into its path while activating Magic Coat. The parasitic seeds impacted the reflective move, which redirected its momentum towards Gogoat. He could not get away, and as the seeds impacted his body, a trail of vines erupted. They dug into its fur and flesh, but the vines remained inert rather than pulse green as Louise anticipated, although she did notice that Gogoat's movements were hampered.

For a moment, Ramos' face warped into a frown, then he relaxed and admitted, "Very clever. I heard from Viola that you used that move against her to earn your first gym badge."

"Oh, so you talked about me?" Louise asked in genuine surprise, and Ramos nodded.

"We talk about all promising contenders in the League Circuit. That includes your friend up there," he said, pointing his thumb towards an equally surprised, if somewhat proud, Saito, who couldn't help but perk himself up.

Despite herself, Louise stood up just a bit straighter at the news that her efforts were acknowledged by more than just her close friends. Eager to prove them correct, she smirked confidently, then ordered, "Flamethrower!"

Brennaraki, just as determined to win this badge as her trainer, immediately fired a jet of flame toward Gogoat. Despite his burn and the Leech Seed tangling his limbs, he was able to dodge by bounding to the side. At the same time, he fired a Seed Bomb at Brennaraki's feet, which for some reason managed to bypass the Light Screen and explode behind the Fennekin, sending her flying forward into the dirt.

"Wait, what? How did-?" Louise wondered, and Ramos chuckled.

"Light Screen protects the user against special attacks. Seed Bomb and Razor Leaf are considered physical," Ramos revealed, and Louise tilted her head in confusion.

"…How does that—never mind," she interrupted herself, shook her head, and then pointed towards the bounding Gogoat. "Use Psybeam!"

A laser of psychic energy shot out of Brennaraki's forehead, slamming into the side of Gogoat's flank. He bellowed in pain, and combined with the Leech Seed and the burn, he nearly fell. Eager to take advantage of this, Brennaraki followed up with another Fire Spin, hoping to trap his opponent in the vortex. Unlike last time, Gogoat avoided getting trapped in the blaze, leaping towards Brennaraki as his horns glowed for another Horn Leech attack.

Brennaraki dived away but was clipped by the blow, sending her end over end into the tall grass. Using it as cover, she began to sift her way through the blades, using her nose to keep track of her opponent.

"Pin her down with Grass Knot, then use Bulldoze!" Ramos ordered.

The shiny Fennekin attempted to jump away, but the grass underneath her feet suddenly extended and wrapped itself around her ankle. Her momentum caused her to faceplant onto the ground, leaving her helpless for the Bulldoze, which sent her flying into the air with a cry. As she landed on the ground, she was scooped up again by Gogoat using Horn Leech, where he carried her off before throwing her into a tree.

"Brennaraki, no!" Louise yelled as her starter Pokémon slid down the trunk.

Brennaraki was still for a few moments, and Louise feared that her Pokémon was out for the count. But then Brennaraki's eyes opened, and she began to push herself up. With a defiant growl and trembling legs, Brennaraki forced herself to stand upright. It was clear with one look in her eyes that she refused to let herself be defeated this way, and with a shrill cry, she made everyone in the arena realize it, too. Both Ramos and his Gogoat nodded at her in respect while she charged up a Flamethrower, putting everything she had into this one last attack.

But then, much to everyone's surprise, her body began to glow brightly. Louise could see Henrietta gasp at what they were seeing, but her attention was squarely focused on her starter as the white silhouette of the quadrupedal Fennekin started to shift and change. The body grew taller, the tail bushier and longer, and the jets of fur coming out of her ears extended further outward. Her posture became bipedal, her hind legs growing longer and thicker while her forelimbs became thinner, much more like a human's. When the glow finally subsided, a proud and angry Braixen stood, holding a small stick in place that she had instinctively grabbed from the ground nearby.

A suddenly much more potent Flamethrower emerged from the stick, reminding Louise of a magic wand from back home. Gogoat could not get away and was entirely consumed by the jet of fire, which extended well past him and toward the retaining wall. Luckily the fire was contained by the Exeggutors that protected the surrounding tree and the people watching, and an embarrassed Brennaraki quickly stopped herself. But for Gogoat, it was too late as his smoking body fell over, his eyes practically swirling.

"Gogoat is unable to battle! Louise Vallière and Brennaraki are the winners!" the referee announced as he waved a red flag.

It took a moment for Louise to process it, but then her face exploded into a smile. She ran out onto the field towards Brennaraki, who ran back to her. As Louise wrapped her starter Pokémon in a tight, grateful hug, she could hear her friends cheer her on in the background. But Louise ignored that, instead burying her face into Brennaraki's shoulder.

"Thank you, girl," Louise said, then pulled away to smile at her beloved starter. As Brennaraki smiled back, a thought sprang to Louise's mind, and she hastily pulled out her red Pokédex.

"Braixen, the Fox Pokémon, and the evolved form of Fennekin," the Pokédex's electronic voice read aloud. "Their latent psychic powers further developed and refined, Braixen use sticks recovered from the wild to act as a focus. Storing the sticks in their tails, they use friction to set them alight for attack and communication purposes."

"Wow…" Louise muttered to herself, already forming ideas around the new information she just received, with one piece, in particular, catching her attention. She silently pulled out her wand and held it up, allowing Brennaraki to compare it to her stick. Without a word needing to be said, Brennaraki understood the newfound connection instantly, and her smile grew.

"After this, we're going to make you a proper wand," Louise declared, determined that no Pokémon of hers would settle for a simple stick for such an important thing. Brennaraki eagerly nodded, then as Ramos approached, the trainer and Pokémon stood up to address him.

"Well done, Louise. I must say, you and your team gave a much more impressive performance this time," Ramos said as he held up a small case with a velvet cushion inside. "You have more than earned this."

Opening it, he proudly displayed the Plant Badge and handed it to Louise, who took out her badge case to place the newest addition inside. Inserting it into the fourth slot, she closed the case, put it back into her bag, looked into Ramos' eyes, and said, "Thank you. It was an honor to battle you."

"It was mine as well. There have been many trainers who lost their battles against me much as you did, letting overconfidence and arrogance cloud their judgment," Ramos admitted. "Most don't recover and give up, but the special few overcome their failures and become stronger from the experience. I'm happy to say that you are among the latter. You have a long way to go, but I look forward to seeing where your exploits take you next."

Louise's smile grew, then she nodded and replied, "Thank you. I won't let you down."

"You won't," Ramos confidently told her. He then gestured towards the lift and continued, "Come, I'm certain you have better things to do than to waste your time with an old man. Besides, I'll bet your friends wish to celebrate."

Louise couldn't help but chuckle as she watched her friends continue to wave and cheer at her, then she replied, "Heh, it certainly looks that way."

Ramos led Louise out of the arena with an amused grunt, with Saito, Henrietta, and Derflinger not far behind.


"I can't believe I got to witness an evolution!" Henrietta exclaimed as they sat around the courtyard of the Pokémon Center, gently rubbing her hands through Brennaraki's bushy tail. Rather than be annoyed by the gesture, the smug Braixen was more than happy to let the princess shower her with praise and affection.

"Yeah. It doesn't matter how many times I see it. It's always amazing every single time," Saito replied as he finished grilling burgers to celebrate Louise's victory, with the young noblewoman practically salivating at the patties beside him.

"Well, you're with us. Seeing an evolution was bound to happen eventually," Derflinger pointed out, and Henrietta briefly paused her stroking of Brennaraki's tail to smile.

"Yes, with two Pokémon trainers, I suppose that is the case," she admitted. When Brennaraki grunted in annoyance, clearly saying that she didn't tell the princess to stop, Henrietta chuckled and stroked her tail again. "Sorry about that."

"Here, she'll like this," Louise offered as she pulled out a hairbrush from her bag, which Henrietta eagerly took and began to use. As Louise predicted, Brennaraki practically shivered in pleasure, almost kicking her leg up and down. She only did it for a moment before stopping in embarrassment, but it was enough to get everyone else to laugh.

As the laughter subsided, Henrietta asked, "So, what are you going to do next?"

"First, I'm going to go out into the forest, find the most impressive tree I can find, and carve a proper wand for Brennaraki from one of its branches," Louise declared, glancing at her wand as she did. That was how her wand was made. It was carved from an oak tree that had grown on the Vallière estate for generations, and from its wood came every Vallière wand. Brennaraki might not be Vallière by blood, but Louise considered all of her Pokémon family, and she had no intention of letting that tradition die.

Henrietta nodded approvingly while Brennaraki's face glowed from the affectionate gesture Louise would make for her. Then she asked, "And after that?"

"After that, well… We got our next gym battle," Louise answered, pulling up the map of Kalos on her Pokédex before showing it to Henrietta. "The closest gym to us is back in Lumiose City, headed by a boy our age named Clemont Lem. We actually ran into him when Saito and I returned to Lumiose from Santalune City."

"Really? Then why didn't you challenge him for your second badge? Don't they have different teams?" Henrietta pointed out, and Louise nodded.

"That was our plan, actually. Clemont just so happens to be an inventor, and one of his inventions…exploded right before we could challenge him," Saito revealed, with the memory reminding Louise of Professor Colbert, who often had the same thing happen to him. He and Clemont would likely get along pretty well.

"Oh my goodness. Was everyone all right?" Henrietta asked in concern, and Saito nodded as he flipped the burgers over.

"Yeah, but the gym was put out of commission for a while, forcing Louise and me to keep going to Cyllage City for our second badge."

"That's…quite a gap," Henrietta noted as she read the map, and Louise nodded.

"It wasn't all bad. We got to visit plenty of amazing locations, meeting some interesting people and Pokémon," Louise pointed out. "Overall, I think it was for the best. I honestly can't imagine how things might've turned out had we managed to challenge Clemont when we wanted."

"Yeah…" Saito gently said. He then shrugged and continued, "Luckily, it's a straight shot from here to Lumiose. Just gotta go through the Badlands."

Saito paused, then added, "Speaking of which, we're going to need to be extra careful when we're going through there. Aside from the Kalos Power Plant, there's nothing between here and Lumiose. You do not want to be caught unprepared out there."

"I noticed that yesterday. We're going to need all the food and water we can carry," Louise declared, and Henrietta nervously looked at her friends.

"Just how bad is it?" she asked, and Louise looked at her.

"Take the most inhospitable deserts of Hespéria and make it even worse. That's how bad it looked," Louise declared, and Henrietta's eyes widened.

"Oh, I see… In that case, it would be best to make preparations ahead of time."

"Can't you use your water magic to make unlimited water?" Saito asked, but Henrietta shook her head.

"If what you and Louise are saying is true, not really," Henrietta admitted. "Magic is affected by the environment a mage finds themselves in. In our case, the power of my water spells increases when a lot of water surrounds me. A lake, river, ocean, swamp. Anything of that nature. But if I'm in a desert with little to no water…."

"Eeesh, I see what you mean," Saito replied grimly.

"It was a good thought. Sorry I couldn't do more."

"Don't worry about it. Was more of an idle thought, anyway," Saito admitted, then placed the fully cooked patties onto a paper plate. He carried them over to the park table, where an assortment of condiments, cheese, and bread awaited them. Placing the patties in the center, he announced, "Bon appétit."

Louise didn't need to be told twice as she hungrily grabbed a patty, a slice of Unovan cheese, and a hamburger bun before layering them together. At one point, she would've used a fork and knife to cut into her food, especially since the Princess was in their company. But Henrietta had explicitly told her that she wanted to be treated like an ordinary girl, and an ordinary girl ate hamburgers with their hands. Henrietta was astonished at first but soon caught on and began to do the same with gusto.

As the trio continued to eat, with the other Pokémon digging into their bowls of Pokémon food, Louise felt a sense of calm and happiness wash over her. Briefly putting down her burger, she peered out over the park with a smile. She was about to go back to eating when she noticed something peeking out at her from behind a nearby tree. A stunned Louise locked eyes with the being, which then stepped fully out of the tree and into open view.

She recognized it immediately as the Bisharp she had saved yesterday.

"Bisharp? You're back," Louise muttered, catching everyone else's attention. Soon all the trainers and Pokémon were staring at the new arrival, with Brennaraki in particular growling proactively in front of Louise.

The Bisharp ignored the stares as he locked eyes with Louise and began walking forward. Once he entered the courtyard fully, he stopped, narrowed his eyes, then pointed right at Louise with his bladed arm.

"What is he…?" Henrietta muttered to herself as the Bisharp repeated the gesture, this time accompanied by a few powerful barks.

It took a few moments for Louise to realize what the wild Pokémon was saying, but soon a sense of understanding filled her. Her suspicions were confirmed a moment later when Derflinger said, "He's challenging you to a battle, Louise."

"What? Why?" Henrietta asked, staring at Louise, who remained sitting towards the Bisharp. The Bisharp could understand Henrietta's question and barked several times, and Derflinger nodded.

"He was curious when Louise went out of her way to save his life when she had no reason to," Derflinger explained, "so he followed her and watched her battle against Ramos. He was impressed by what he saw. Now he's challenging her to earn his loyalty in battle."

Henrietta's eyes widened, and they widened even more when Louise stood up and answered, "I accept."

[~][~]

Merry Christmas, everyone, and a Happy New Year! Special thanks to Darwin Candidate and Yuri Vampire for their help in bringing this chapter to life.

Louise has successfully won her fourth gym badge, and Brennaraki has finally evolved into Braixen. Not only that, but as many of you predicted, the Bisharp that Louise rescued was impressed by her and wants to join her team. Originally, we were going to show this battle as part of the current chapter, but we decided that this was a good stopping point.

I'm glad so many of you liked the last few chapters and its developments. Regarding Henrietta's decision whether to use magic or not, that will come up again in the story itself. Rest assured that she, and by extension us, will be taking this topic extremely seriously.

Yeah, Louise honestly needed a loss. Especially in this moment. A good Pokemon story, and really a story in general, doesn't have its heroes win all the time. There needs to be setbacks and losses. Sure, they'll probably win at the end of the day, but there needs to be losses thrown around to keep the stakes appropriately high. That way the victories feel earned.

Once again, I must reiterate that I do not take suggestions or pitches for my stories. Audience speculation that just so happens to coincide with my plans can and have been considered, but the story I write is entirely my own. Please understand that this is a blanket policy I use to ensure that my artistic vision remains undisturbed.

I'm also glad so many of you are enthusiastic about Louise getting a Bisharp. Funnily enough, we planned this encounter, and really this Bisharp's entire arc, years ago. Was one of our first ideas, actually. It just so happened to coincide with the release of Scarlet and Violet which gave us a new evolution. Pokemon really threw us a bone there. Speaking of, I have not played the game yet. Waiting until they patch out the bugs to where I can actually play the game without having to reset my console every thirty minutes.

Let us know what you guys think. If any of you have a TV Tropes account, any assistance in updating the TV Tropes page would be greatly appreciated. We hope you enjoy and see you all next time!